​Russian evacuation plane denied landing in Yemen, diverts to Cairo

A state-chartered Russian plane destined for the Yemeni capital Sanaa had been diverted to Cairo, after the Saudi-led coalition reportedly refused it landing permission, leaving scores of Russian expats awaiting evacuation to languish at the airport.

“The crew made contact with coalition forces while flying
over the Red Sea,” Khaled Shayef, the director of Sanaa
airport, told the Lebanon-based Mayadeen channel. “The
coalition refused to allow the landing in Sanaa and the plane had
to fly to Cairo.”

Shayef said that Russian citizens – mostly oil industry employees
and their families – had gathered in the airport in anticipation
of the flight.

Mayadeen, which broadcasts all over the Arab world, claimed that
the refusal was in contravention of earlier promises made by the
coalition to Moscow, though Russian diplomats in Cairo stopped
short of blaming Saudi Arabia.

“We can confirm that there is a Russian plane at Cairo
airport, which is awaiting the opportunity to continue the
evacuation Russian citizens from Yemen,” said a statement
from the diplomats delivered to TASS news agency. “But a lot
will depend on co-operation of other countries, including Saudi
Arabia.”

The UK, the United Nations, and a host of other countries have
already evacuated their citizens from the country. Previously,
Russia’s diplomatic mission assured Russian media that no
evacuation was imminent, and that “Sanaa is relatively
quiet.”

Last week, five Gulf states, Egypt, Pakistan, Morocco and several
other Sunni Muslim countries launched a series of airstrikes
against the Shia Houthi rebels, who had gained control of the
capital and large swathes of territory in the west of the
country.

Neighboring Saudi Arabia, has taken full control of the country’s
air and sea ports, purportedly to prevent the inflow of weapons
from abroad. Riyadh has openly accused its regional arch-rival
Iran of funding the rebels, and fomenting unrest in the country
of 25 million people.